By Abba Dukawa
Truth be told, speaker Femi Gbajabiamila is an embodiment of a good head, a good heart and of course a literate tongue having been privileged to have experienced the best in terms of education locally and internationally. And the result so far so good has been delivery of democratic dividends and meeting expectations of his constituency teeming population and now by extension the whole country.
Now, some people may argue that it is too early in the day to shower accolades on the Rt. Honourable Speaker but the popular expression that the signs of a beautiful Friday will be noticed from the preceding Wednesday clearly exemplifies the actions he has taken so far by since he effectively took charge of the affairs of the House of Representatives on June 11, 2019.
A good head and good heart are always a formidable combination. But when you add to that a literate tongue or pen, then you have something special – Nelson Mandela.
The above expression from one of the greatest ethical and political leaders of all-time aptly describes the man , the 15th speaker of the National Assembly who on Tuesday, turns 57 years
Like a greyhound after a rabbit, Femi Gbajabiamila came out of the take off point with some decisive pronouncements and moves that disabused the minds of some doubting Thomases that he is actually prepared and ready for the tasks of administering the House.
I have had the unique privilege of watching his activities as a floor member since 2009. he took over the most tasking and challenging job in the the country and one thing that is constant is that his passion, zeal and energy for a greater Nigeria remain undebatable. I mean people could recall how the Gbajabiamila vigorously campaigned across the geopolitical during the electioneering and the zestfulness on display when he met with the relevant groups and organisations across.
The good thing, however, is that he has not stopped. In fact, he made it abundantly clear in his inaugural speech.
The Contest for the Speakership of this 9th Assembly is now over and its time to move on. Our country is presently confronted with a myriad of problems and it is our responsibility as members of this institution to set aside political , ideological and other differences that may distract us from the assignment the Nigerian people have sent us here to perform. Theres a lot more that unite us than divide us. There is much work to be done and we must now pull together, roll up our sleeves , settle down and attend to the peoples business. Whatever political party each one of us may belong, we must be conscious of the fact that Nigerians are truly desirous of good governance and are looking to us to be the agents that will through meaningful legislation combat security, poverty, corruption and other problems and contradictions that have held our country back and stunted our development. It is this message of unity and coming together that informed the theme of our campaign…NATION BUILDING, AJOINT TASK.” For many who rightly belong to the school of thought that talk is cheap and who were not ecstatic about speaker’s brilliant inauguration speech, which by the way he eloquently delivered, the steady implementation since his assumption can be said to be a worthy consolation.
Another critical point which I must mention is indeed, Speaker Femi’s performance as floor member, minority and majority leader is as a result of a combination of his background and his leadership skill, sharpen up over time from experiences gathered in various positions he held both as a member of the House and as a lawyer. In his acceptance speech he said 9th Assembly under his leadership is going to be a House of reforms or if you like a reform Assembly. “The reforms will be dished out piecemeal and at intervals so as not to shock the system. Moving forward therefore my dear colleagues, it will not be business as usual and we will be shaking the table just a little. We will be introducing various reforms that will reposition this institution but please rest assured that they will be for the greater good.” He said.
Gbajabiamila is the most experienced and prepared candidate in the 9th national assembly speakership race. Since becoming a member in 2003, Femi has sponsored some of the most critical bills that have been debated on the floor of the House of Representatives. He has demonstrated his true passion for issues concerning his constituents and Nigeria as a whole; he worked passionately to address matters of great concern to him and quickly earned a reputation as a true and brilliant legislator. Speaker Gbajabiamila had sponsored the highest number of bills in the National Assembly amongst all the legislators.
In the last 16 years he have been a principal officer for 12years.Gbajabiamila’s occupied the office of leader of the opposition and successfully moved my party from opposition to majority in the House and thereafter assumed the position of House Leader, placing him in a uniquely advantageous position of understanding the nuances and intricacies of this very critical arm of government and the need for its independence and at same time interdependence with the executive. This accorded him to gained wealth of experience and with his burning desire for good governance that wanted to bring to the table.
He possesses the priceless acumen needed to take up this task and another pivotal point that cannot be taken away is his political worth to his party and Nigeria. He has manifested a sophisticated political capacity of which only a few can boast. In 2014 as the Leader of Opposition in the House of Representatives led his colleagues into the merger that gave birth to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Under Femi’s leadership of the APC caucus in the House, the party increased its numbers, earning them the majority.
Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila is a personification of humanity, a selfless leader and an uncommon Nigerian, who thinks more about the other person’s feelings than of his own. I have witnessed the display of his kind heartedness many times that I can comfortably say that he is a very good man. Here is wishing my amiable and dynamic boss happy birthday. I wish you sound health and wisdom to deliver on the mission #ForAGreaterHOR.
Dukawa wrote in from Kano and can be reached at abbahyduawa@gmail.com
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Sky Daily
